For Kavanaugh, Clinton or Trump, investigations have a way of morphing
Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies during the second day of his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Sept. 5. Credit: AFP/Getty Images/Saul Loeb
Politically driven federal investigations take on lives of their own — especially when congressional and FBI probes develop in tandem.
Republican-led investigations of Islamic militants' deadly attacks on two U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 kept Democratic Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the hot seat for years.
Constitutionally, this was a matter of oversight. Congress revealed administration flaws in operations, followed by public misreporting.
Probers fell short of proving Clinton and cohorts acted with impropriety. But the congressional majority did find enough to justify the famed FBI probe of Clinton's private email server.
As everyone learned, her emails became the hottest of bureau potatoes, a surprise saga with its own consequences.
Two years later, under a Republican White House, with Congress still under GOP command, comes the controversy over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prodded by the Democratic minority, congressional oversight has given way to FBI questioning. Senate and White House priorities limited the time period, while Democrats, of course, have looked to extend it.
And the issues surrounding Kavanaugh have morphed. What began as the airing of a sexual misconduct allegation from three-plus decades ago has become a discussion of Kavanaugh's past demeanor and his sworn statements to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
This is, of course, less rigorous than a criminal inquiry. Here, the Senate is expected to decide strictly and quickly whether Kavanaugh is qualified for this seat on the nation's highest court. Republicans, as of Tuesday, still appeared generally disposed to confirm him.
The Russia-related cloud currently hanging above the Trump administration grows out of federal law-enforcement probe of a different kind.
The prospect of "collusion" is a stated target. But in the process, special counsel Robert Mueller's team and other prosecutors have run down alleys that lead to Trump's private activities.
Varied federal investigations — exploring campaigns or official actions, or background reviews — share one dynamic: They could end up far from where they begin.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
